This is the 2011 calendar.

Day 20: Tip the People Who Never Get Tips

We all tip our waiters, our cab drivers, and our hairstylists, and for good reason: they bring us food, take us places, and keep our feathers shiny and manageable. But for some reason, we usually leave out all sorts of people from the tipping process.

Today we’re going to right that wrong, by extending tipping to those those people who work just as hard, but for reasons unknown to us, aren’t “supposed” to get tips. Here are just a few left-out occupations you might consider tipping this holiday season:

As you can see, the list is practically endless. So be bold and tip your local beekeeper, lion tamer, or professional wrestler; they will love you forever! And if you have a good story when you’re done, share it with us!

A friendly tip (ha, double meaning!) before you try this: we’ve done this ourselves recently, and to be honest, it can be bit awkward with some of the above people, depending on the situation. So you might want to try placing your tip in a Christmas card and enclosing it in an envelope that they can open later.

Share what you did!

Must have had foresight! Earlier today, well before this email was on it’s way through the ether, we saw the lawnmower man out in the public gardens doing his regularl civic duty of keeping this city’s grass under control. We raced out to give him a fine swiss chocolate and christmas card. We did this last year, and he never forgot that and was pleased for the repeat chocolate this year.

You’re right – before today we had already tipped the Custodian in our building but reading this I realized that the guy who can only be described as the “fix-it” guy is usually left out. You know the guy who fixes the sockets, gets the dribble in the toilet to be silenced – knows how to do all the little things – and is always ready with a sure I can do that!

So this morning, I went off to find him – with a special tip – not big $$ but to him HUGE gesture! Thanks

Really got me thinking….I’m now getting little “gratuity packs” together for the barista at my favorite coffee shop, the tellers at my bank, and the UPS guy.

Had to laugh when I saw politician listed above. I live in Chicago, and I don’t know about other locations…but in Chicago, tipping a politician has a different meaning and might just end you up in jail. I’ll steer clear of that one.

I’m afraid I am unable to do this for financial reasons, but I am trying to say thank you in a “this is meant especially for you” way, and wishing Merry Christmas to everyone I deal with in this run up to Christmas – the postman, and those in the parcel collection depot, those serving me in shops and on the checkout, my Pilates teacher, etc, etc (sorry, I missed the refuse collectors this morning, it was too early!).

So it doesn’t have to be mega-bucks – just a thank you can brighten their day (and yours!)

I gave a gift card to my daughter’s bus driver before the holiday break and I bought several more cards for the ladies at the grocery store. I hate grocery shopping but their smiling faces at the end make the task worth it.

I went to buy a scratch card for a secret Santa present and offered to buy the guy at the counter a scratch card for himself. He said no customer offered to buy anything for him before. He told me to come back at the end of my work day because he wanted to give me something in return… I went back and he gave me a bottle of wine.. in the end he was much more generous than I was but I think we made each other feel very special and in tune with the Christmas spirit!

Kind Acts Done:

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